It seems I may be one of the few Facebook holdouts remaining judging by the extraordinary numbers of facebook invites I’ve received via email, co-workers, friends, family, and more. The invites come in many forms, including but not limited to official invites through the site, mildly annoyed(?) commentary from people in my life who find it easier to facebook than to email, teasing, pleading, and general puzzlement.
The confusion is understandable. Most who know me probably view me as relatively ensconced in various web-based technology, web communities, blogging, and even some social networking. At times, I was surprised myself that I didn’t jump on the Facebook bandwagon in its early days.
In some respects, I’m a very private person. In others, I’m anything but.
I have absolutely no issue with the concept. I think it’s wonderful that many of my friends and family are keeping in touch, reconnecting with old friends, experiencing the catharsis of posting and sharing, networking, and much more. I wouldn’t for a moment think less of anyone who loves Facebook.
My personal decision not to connect in this fashion will no doubt have its drawbacks. I’m fully aware that this means I may miss out on opportunities to learn the minutia, a few laughs, photos, and certain details of the lives of those I care about.
Though my reasons for not participating are many and varied, here are just a few: (and when I say ‘you’, I am addressing these to myself!)
· If you ever want to hear from everyone you dated or didn’t want to know in high school, you really should get a Facebook account.
· If you relish the idea of your wild friends and acquaintances from your carefree youth mixing with your current friends, your mother, your fiancée, fellow church-goers, your past, present and future employers, and the guy with the shifty eyes who decided to Google-stalk you after over-hearing your name – then by all means a Facebook account is a must have!
· If you want to make sure your stalker ex can still track your every move, Facebook is really for you.
· If you want a new addiction to fill up too many hours of your day and keep you up too late at night, then Facebook is just what the Doctor ordered.
· If you want the gratification of daring to post content that seems a good idea now but which you might later regret knowing that the creators of Facebook can change privacy rules any time they like, then Facebook is a good fit for the thrill-seeker in you.
· If you ever intend to run for office, or support someone who does, surely you want your life to be an open-book?
· If you intend to apply for a new job again in your lifetime, I’m sure it couldn’t hurt to make sure your prospective employer knows loads about you and everyone else you associate with.
· I am still recovering from the trauma of Myspace
· Scientists have apparently proven that 150 friends is the most we can cope with. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245684/5-000-friends-Facebook-Scientists-prove-150-cope-with.html
I realize that it may seem hypocritical that I keep a blog or two and participate in a web-community and do in some ways put my life ‘out there’. It’s just that I find Facebook for my particular and personal circumstances to be just a tad bit too open for my preference.
Just because everyone else is having a party, doesn’t mean that I am in the mood to attend…
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